Latham century keeps Bangladesh at bay
Tom Latham superbly blunted the Bangladesh attack, hitting his sixth century, to prop up New Zealand on the third day of the first Test in Wellington on Saturday (January 14).
After amassing 595 for 8, Bangladesh declared and snared the big wickets of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, but Latham put his head down and saw New Zealand safely through to stumps.
New Zealand finished the day at 292 for 3, trailing by 303 runs, with Latham on 119 and Henry Nicholls 35.
Bangladesh's bowlers had to adjust to some strong northerly wind in the afternoon session while Latham took his time and was the fulcrum around which the rest of the line-up batted around.
The deck was a flat one, and the experienced duo of Williamson and Taylor would be disappointed not to have carried on after getting their eye in. With two days to play, a draw seems the most likely result barring a dramatic collapse from either side.
Williamson steadied the innings after Jeet Raval's early dismissal for 27, and was batting fluently but waded outside off stump to be caught behind for 53. It was Taskin Ahmed's maiden Test scalp on debut.
That brought Taylor, in his first international match following eye surgery at the end of November, to the crease. One century shy of equalling the New Zealand record of 17 held by the late Martin Crowe, Taylor's intent was positive. He tore into Taskin, with three successive fours, but on 40 he was undone by a short delivery from Kamrul Islam, holing out to Mahmudullah for a regulation catch on the square-leg boundary.
Raval too had succumbed to Islam, caught behind by Imrul Kayes deputising as wicketkeeper while Mushfiqur Rahim, the regular 'keeper and captain, was getting treatment on his hands after getting hit during his innings of 159 on Friday.
Latham, however, continued to keep Bangladesh at bay, facing 222 deliveries in his five-and-a-half-hour stay at the crease.
Resuming the day at 542 for 7, Bangladesh continued batting to allow Sabbir Rahman to get to his fifty, the fifth player to do so in the innings headlined by Shakib Al Hasan's 217.
Sabbir, shelled by Latham when he was on 31, remained unbeaten on 54 when Bangladesh declared an hour into the day's play.
The visiting side sprung a surprise, deciding to open the bowling with Mehedi Hasan, the spinner, and it nearly paid dividends when he found the edge of Raval's bat in his second over. Luck went New Zealand's way though as the ball went through the vacant second slip position.
Raval was then dropped on 24 off Taskin by Shakib at third slip and New Zealand put on a 54-run opening stand, before Kayes managed to hold on when the opener offered another catch in the 17th over.
